It should be the most wonderful time, but it's become the time of year we dread. The money is great, but as I pointed out earlier, it's the pressure of all those high-stress guests, together with every room stuffed to its max occupancy. And stuff goes wrong, especially with heating systems that haven't been stressed since last March.
Well, that's the way it was our first four winters. We still had some issues with gas fireplaces and thermostats, but very few other incidents. A few late night calls and their early morning counterparts, but for the most part it's been very quiet. Rooms that usually have families of six have families of four and rooms that have families of four have two brothers or a single couple.
Even more strangely wonderful, the hot tub, which suffers terrible abuse this time of the year, has been quiet. It's been great.
The snow helps, of course. We've only had one cancellation due to a "medical emergency" versus half a dozen the last couple of years, when our weather has not been so favorable. The medical emergencies come right when it starts to rain. Even those people who come and ski in poor conditions are not as cheerful.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Storytelling
An editor who considered a book of mine (and later declined with regrets) once called me "a natural storyteller." It was a great compliment, but I dismissed it out of hand. I wasn't a natural storyteller; it took years for me to figure out how to lay out events in such a way as to heighten reader interest.
Nevertheless, I know what she meant. When she picked up my book, she kept reading. And she didn't want to stop.
The most effective way to hook a reader and keep him reading is to start every scene with a hook and finish every scene with a read-on prompt.
Here are the opening lines to my three most recent books, including my work in progress. Note that each of them raise questions.
The Righteous:
Amanda Kimball drugged her three-year-old daughter before putting her to bed.
Why is a woman drugging her daughter? Is she trying to kill her? Does she need her daughter to sleep for some reason?
Devil's Deep:
It was ten minutes to midnight when Rosa Solorio entered the darkened room to kidnap the retarded man.
Why would anyone kidnap a retarded man?
State of Siege:
The prisoner was a dead man as soon as his cell phone began to ring.
Why would a prisoner have a cell phone? Why would someone kill him because it started to ring?
This even works with an intriguing bit of dialog. This is from my story Only Today, which sold to The Atlantic:
"Psss!" the men hissed conspiratorially, or, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" and "Come see. Only today!"
Note that my first lines don't try to set a scene ("The nursing home smelled like Listerine and soiled diapers.") and they don't try to establish character ("James was a simple man who loved his candied apples and his bunny-eared slippers.").
I have one goal for the first sentence: get the reader to continue to the next sentence. The goals for the second sentence are much the same. The further I progress into the story, the more risks I can take, but it's of critical importance to get the ball rolling.
It's harder for me to list effective endings for scenes because they don't make as much sense if you haven't read the proceeding scene. What I want to do is keep a mystery, a new goals, or a bit of unfinished business in the reader's mind so that she'll be excited to return to this thread in the next chapter, or even three chapters down the line. If I've done a good job, the other threads will finish with interesting prompts and will also start with an exciting hook as well so that she won't be too disappointed to move to something else.
My career is still a work in progress, but once I learned how to open and finish scenes I found that agents and editors started reading my stories and usually finishing them as well. Some of my stories even sold. When I get rejections, they are more likely to be personal and complimentary, rather than impersonal, form rejections.
State of Siege word count: 54,300 words
Nevertheless, I know what she meant. When she picked up my book, she kept reading. And she didn't want to stop.
The most effective way to hook a reader and keep him reading is to start every scene with a hook and finish every scene with a read-on prompt.
Here are the opening lines to my three most recent books, including my work in progress. Note that each of them raise questions.
The Righteous:
Amanda Kimball drugged her three-year-old daughter before putting her to bed.
Why is a woman drugging her daughter? Is she trying to kill her? Does she need her daughter to sleep for some reason?
Devil's Deep:
It was ten minutes to midnight when Rosa Solorio entered the darkened room to kidnap the retarded man.
Why would anyone kidnap a retarded man?
State of Siege:
The prisoner was a dead man as soon as his cell phone began to ring.
Why would a prisoner have a cell phone? Why would someone kill him because it started to ring?
This even works with an intriguing bit of dialog. This is from my story Only Today, which sold to The Atlantic:
"Psss!" the men hissed conspiratorially, or, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" and "Come see. Only today!"
Note that my first lines don't try to set a scene ("The nursing home smelled like Listerine and soiled diapers.") and they don't try to establish character ("James was a simple man who loved his candied apples and his bunny-eared slippers.").
I have one goal for the first sentence: get the reader to continue to the next sentence. The goals for the second sentence are much the same. The further I progress into the story, the more risks I can take, but it's of critical importance to get the ball rolling.
It's harder for me to list effective endings for scenes because they don't make as much sense if you haven't read the proceeding scene. What I want to do is keep a mystery, a new goals, or a bit of unfinished business in the reader's mind so that she'll be excited to return to this thread in the next chapter, or even three chapters down the line. If I've done a good job, the other threads will finish with interesting prompts and will also start with an exciting hook as well so that she won't be too disappointed to move to something else.
My career is still a work in progress, but once I learned how to open and finish scenes I found that agents and editors started reading my stories and usually finishing them as well. Some of my stories even sold. When I get rejections, they are more likely to be personal and complimentary, rather than impersonal, form rejections.
State of Siege word count: 54,300 words
But We Have Plans! Part III
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 53 of a 737 part series
So, it's been twelve months since last New Year's Weekend. You've had in the back of your mind that you wanted to come north for another ski trip at the end of the year. When do you make your reservations?
January is too early. Your plans could change. July, you've got barbecues and boat trips on your mind. October comes, maybe November and oh, yeah, it's about time to book our ski trip. Winter is just around the corner. Right?
Or how about this? 5:30 A.M. on the morning you plan to arrive? That's good time to call a small, owner-operated place to ask about rooms, right? It's not like they might be a) full, and b) asleep.
So, it's been twelve months since last New Year's Weekend. You've had in the back of your mind that you wanted to come north for another ski trip at the end of the year. When do you make your reservations?
January is too early. Your plans could change. July, you've got barbecues and boat trips on your mind. October comes, maybe November and oh, yeah, it's about time to book our ski trip. Winter is just around the corner. Right?
Or how about this? 5:30 A.M. on the morning you plan to arrive? That's good time to call a small, owner-operated place to ask about rooms, right? It's not like they might be a) full, and b) asleep.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Fun With Guests Part LII
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 52 of a 737 part series
We're stuffed with Christmas guests, which means the interesting guests are crawling out of their Brooklyn apartments and making their annual migration to the Great White North.
We've avoided major outbreaks of bozo-itis, but it's still been interesting. Among the highlights:
* A non-guest got trapped in a snowbank as he tried to turn around in our parking lot.
* The guests in the suite cannot figure out the thermostat in either the bedroom or to the gas fireplace in the front room.
* There's a slightly-creepy woman who was trying to flirt with me at breakfast this morning. She had asked M last night where to find the hot bars where she and her friend could meet cute single guys. I guess they failed.
* The guests in one of the efficiencies turned off the pilot light on their gas fireplace while trying to ignite the fire (ignoring the on/off switch).
* And finally, M took a call at about midnight last night from a room that wanted us to change the bedding on one of their beds because they'd found "pubic hairs" on it. I thought this was highly unlikely. All our sheets come from a linen service and we'd just washed the bedding in that room, but I dragged myself out of bed and brought down new sheets.
There were no pubic hairs, but that doesn't mean they were totally wrong, either. The previous guests had a dog and, like many pet-owners, they'd let it sleep on the spare bed. A few dog hairs had clung to the blanket. It wasn't terrible, but it was there. The housekeeper should have brought this blanket in for another wash, but didn't notice it.
I was very groggy; I think I was halfway to the room before I woke up enough to realize what I was doing with all these sheets in my arms. I do vaguely remember trying to get M to do it, although she probably pointed out our deal (she gets the phone, I get out of bed) and it must have penetrated somehow.
I changed the sheets and the blankets and apologized for the problem. They were not rude about it, which I appreciated. I managed to get back in bed and fall asleep within a reasonable period of time.
We're stuffed with Christmas guests, which means the interesting guests are crawling out of their Brooklyn apartments and making their annual migration to the Great White North.
We've avoided major outbreaks of bozo-itis, but it's still been interesting. Among the highlights:
* A non-guest got trapped in a snowbank as he tried to turn around in our parking lot.
* The guests in the suite cannot figure out the thermostat in either the bedroom or to the gas fireplace in the front room.
* There's a slightly-creepy woman who was trying to flirt with me at breakfast this morning. She had asked M last night where to find the hot bars where she and her friend could meet cute single guys. I guess they failed.
* The guests in one of the efficiencies turned off the pilot light on their gas fireplace while trying to ignite the fire (ignoring the on/off switch).
* And finally, M took a call at about midnight last night from a room that wanted us to change the bedding on one of their beds because they'd found "pubic hairs" on it. I thought this was highly unlikely. All our sheets come from a linen service and we'd just washed the bedding in that room, but I dragged myself out of bed and brought down new sheets.
There were no pubic hairs, but that doesn't mean they were totally wrong, either. The previous guests had a dog and, like many pet-owners, they'd let it sleep on the spare bed. A few dog hairs had clung to the blanket. It wasn't terrible, but it was there. The housekeeper should have brought this blanket in for another wash, but didn't notice it.
I was very groggy; I think I was halfway to the room before I woke up enough to realize what I was doing with all these sheets in my arms. I do vaguely remember trying to get M to do it, although she probably pointed out our deal (she gets the phone, I get out of bed) and it must have penetrated somehow.
I changed the sheets and the blankets and apologized for the problem. They were not rude about it, which I appreciated. I managed to get back in bed and fall asleep within a reasonable period of time.
typing speed
79 words
This is pretty accurate, I think. When I'm writing, of course, I compose in blurs, then I'll sit and think for awhile, then I'll crawl through a sentence or two. I'm sure it's extremely rare that I write 79 new words in a minute.
This is pretty accurate, I think. When I'm writing, of course, I compose in blurs, then I'll sit and think for awhile, then I'll crawl through a sentence or two. I'm sure it's extremely rare that I write 79 new words in a minute.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Midway Point II
I think I'm moving past the midway point in State of Siege. Ten, fifteen days from now it should be firmly in the rear view mirror as I build strength for the final assault.
In the meanwhile, gargh, this middle stretch is tough. The initial enthusiasm and energy are long gone. The finish line is so distant that it is not yet visible on the horizon. My stamina fails.
Questions pass through my mind. Why am I doing this? Have I derailed my plot? Was my plot ever railed in the first place? What made me think that this was the book worthy of hundreds of hours of my time? Who invented those obnoxious dancing people on those pop-up ads and why is this not a capital offense?
Must...keep...writing.
State of Siege word count: 49,500 words
In the meanwhile, gargh, this middle stretch is tough. The initial enthusiasm and energy are long gone. The finish line is so distant that it is not yet visible on the horizon. My stamina fails.
Questions pass through my mind. Why am I doing this? Have I derailed my plot? Was my plot ever railed in the first place? What made me think that this was the book worthy of hundreds of hours of my time? Who invented those obnoxious dancing people on those pop-up ads and why is this not a capital offense?
Must...keep...writing.
State of Siege word count: 49,500 words
A Quiet Christmas
I don't know exactly why, but this Christmas has been the quietest of the last five. Some of it is where the day falls in the week, giving just enough time to come after Christmas and still have enough time for a decent ski trip. Some of it is no doubt that this is the first time we've had good snow for Christmas in a few years and people are gun shy. Some is a general trend that I've seen toward shorter vacations. The end result is that we only had a couple of rooms rented last night, although things get absolutely nuts, starting tomorrow and running through New Year.
We made it through the fall with our finances intact and there's a good amount of snow on the ground so it looks like we'll have a decent winter. So we just decided to enjoy the quiet day and have a more peaceful Christmas with the kids than we've had since we came to the inn.
And for the first time ever, we didn't have guest incidents in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. The stressed hordes have yet to descend, but I'll take that as a good omen.
Merry Christmas everyone.
We made it through the fall with our finances intact and there's a good amount of snow on the ground so it looks like we'll have a decent winter. So we just decided to enjoy the quiet day and have a more peaceful Christmas with the kids than we've had since we came to the inn.
And for the first time ever, we didn't have guest incidents in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. The stressed hordes have yet to descend, but I'll take that as a good omen.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Reviews Are In
I was cooking dinner yesterday when my eight year-old daughter handed me a piece of paper. "This is for you, Dad."
I was in the middle of chopping onions and almost said, "Not now, please." I'm glad I didn't.
Here is what she handed me:
Dad
Cooking Report
rated: √ √ √
qualaty: * * * * *
people like it: ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
CONGRAGTALASHONS! You have passed.
*Please make things less spicy
I was in the middle of chopping onions and almost said, "Not now, please." I'm glad I didn't.
Here is what she handed me:
Dad
Cooking Report
rated: √ √ √
qualaty: * * * * *
people like it: ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
CONGRAGTALASHONS! You have passed.
*Please make things less spicy
Sunday, December 23, 2007
But We Have Plans! Part II
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 51 of a 737 part series
A guy called on the phone this afternoon. "Hi, how are you?"
Michael: "Fine, thank you. How can I help you?" (And can we get to it quickly, please?)
Bob: "My name is Bob. Can you do me a favor?"
Michael: "Uhm, what would that be?" (Mentally adding a second demerit. One more and we'll be suddenly full. Yes, for all dates.)
Bob: "Can you call me Bob? Just Bob, not 'sir'."
Michael: "Sure...Bob." (Replaying the past few seconds: had I called him "sir?" No, I had not. So...?)
Bob: "I need a room for four people for the nights of December 26, 27, and 28."
At which point I tell him that I have one room with two double beds for the 26th and 27th only and a different room that has just a single queen-sized bed for the 28th.
Bob grows a little testy. What good is a room with one bed when they have four people? Well, I don't know. Maybe two of them are kids and could stay with grandma that last night. Maybe...well, maybe lots of things, but people generally like to know the options and I find that sometimes they simply don't believe me until I tell them exactly what is or is not available.
Bob was almost this last category, except that he didn't believe me even after I told him. He wanted to know how much the rooms would be given different configurations. He wanted to know why we were full already. He wanted to know how many people were likely to cancel. The answer to the last one was none, unless it rains, and then we'll get a bunch of "medical emergencies."
As we finish, Bob says, "This is very inconvenient for our plans."
Maybe, Bob, if you had called two weeks ago, your plans would not be in jeopardy.
A guy called on the phone this afternoon. "Hi, how are you?"
Michael: "Fine, thank you. How can I help you?" (And can we get to it quickly, please?)
Bob: "My name is Bob. Can you do me a favor?"
Michael: "Uhm, what would that be?" (Mentally adding a second demerit. One more and we'll be suddenly full. Yes, for all dates.)
Bob: "Can you call me Bob? Just Bob, not 'sir'."
Michael: "Sure...Bob." (Replaying the past few seconds: had I called him "sir?" No, I had not. So...?)
Bob: "I need a room for four people for the nights of December 26, 27, and 28."
At which point I tell him that I have one room with two double beds for the 26th and 27th only and a different room that has just a single queen-sized bed for the 28th.
Bob grows a little testy. What good is a room with one bed when they have four people? Well, I don't know. Maybe two of them are kids and could stay with grandma that last night. Maybe...well, maybe lots of things, but people generally like to know the options and I find that sometimes they simply don't believe me until I tell them exactly what is or is not available.
Bob was almost this last category, except that he didn't believe me even after I told him. He wanted to know how much the rooms would be given different configurations. He wanted to know why we were full already. He wanted to know how many people were likely to cancel. The answer to the last one was none, unless it rains, and then we'll get a bunch of "medical emergencies."
As we finish, Bob says, "This is very inconvenient for our plans."
Maybe, Bob, if you had called two weeks ago, your plans would not be in jeopardy.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Christmas Stuff
We're fairly slow at the inn through Christmas, but then we'll be stuffed with people from the 26th through New Year's. I'd prefer to see some people coming earlier, especially to the lodge, as it's better to ease into it.
In many ways I feel like we're better prepared, however, than we have been in previous years. The snow helps, but we've also fixed a lot of niggling things that have developed over the last couple of months. I've still got a couple of things to do (as does M), but we're getting there.
Among the tasks is all that snow on the roof. I spent about an hour and a half clearing the roof earlier today before I simply ran out of energy. The snow is several feet deep up there. I came inside, changed out of my sweat-drenched clothes and soaked in the hot shower for awhile.
Unfortunately, I still need to do the back side of the roof and need to find some way to get onto the carport without killing myself. There's no heat under this part of the roof to melt snow, so it's probably in the most danger of excessive weight. Unfortunately, there's only a narrow ledge, quite icy, to get there, and I just don't want to do it. I'll have to figure out another way to knock some of that off there. I'm thinking one of those roof rakes.
In many ways I feel like we're better prepared, however, than we have been in previous years. The snow helps, but we've also fixed a lot of niggling things that have developed over the last couple of months. I've still got a couple of things to do (as does M), but we're getting there.
Among the tasks is all that snow on the roof. I spent about an hour and a half clearing the roof earlier today before I simply ran out of energy. The snow is several feet deep up there. I came inside, changed out of my sweat-drenched clothes and soaked in the hot shower for awhile.
Unfortunately, I still need to do the back side of the roof and need to find some way to get onto the carport without killing myself. There's no heat under this part of the roof to melt snow, so it's probably in the most danger of excessive weight. Unfortunately, there's only a narrow ledge, quite icy, to get there, and I just don't want to do it. I'll have to figure out another way to knock some of that off there. I'm thinking one of those roof rakes.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Crunch Time
Today is the shopping trip from hell. I've got to make an expedition into town to stock up all of our essentials before the holidays. I have to go to Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, a bagel place, and the food service place. Ugh.
It's also time to make a major push to get the last of the repairs done before the holidays. I need to replace a broken towel rack and patch a hole in the drywall in another. There's touch-up paint to do in one room, including to cover a spot where a guest--not having paper handy--decided to scrawl a phone number on the wall.
I also have to get onto the roof to shovel off the snow before the next storm. One more good-sized storm and I'll start to worry about it collapsing. I can hire someone to do it for about $300 bucks, but that's a lot of money to pay for about 5-6 hours of unskilled labor. I just need to make sure not to fall and break my neck.
State of Siege word count: 43,200 words
It's also time to make a major push to get the last of the repairs done before the holidays. I need to replace a broken towel rack and patch a hole in the drywall in another. There's touch-up paint to do in one room, including to cover a spot where a guest--not having paper handy--decided to scrawl a phone number on the wall.
I also have to get onto the roof to shovel off the snow before the next storm. One more good-sized storm and I'll start to worry about it collapsing. I can hire someone to do it for about $300 bucks, but that's a lot of money to pay for about 5-6 hours of unskilled labor. I just need to make sure not to fall and break my neck.
State of Siege word count: 43,200 words
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Skiing
I finally got a good day of skiing in today. Snow conditions were fantastic, although it was foggy on the upper mountain. There were nice, soft bumps up there, but I do like to see them before I'm six inches away.
After a single run up top, I abandoned the upper mountain and skied some fun intermediate trails on the lower mountain. There's one area with woods and several different ways down the hill that I've enjoyed ever since I got good enough to ski it. The whole run, including the lift, only takes about 10-15 minutes, so I did it several times.
I'm hoping to go skiing again this weekend, including possibly Monday morning, when the kids are out of school.
After a single run up top, I abandoned the upper mountain and skied some fun intermediate trails on the lower mountain. There's one area with woods and several different ways down the hill that I've enjoyed ever since I got good enough to ski it. The whole run, including the lift, only takes about 10-15 minutes, so I did it several times.
I'm hoping to go skiing again this weekend, including possibly Monday morning, when the kids are out of school.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Plumbers
Five things you never want to hear from the plumbers who are working at a combined $120/hour:
1. "Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut off the goddamn water!"
2. "We're going to have to cut into that wall."
3. "Where the hell is that water coming from?"
4. "Can you come help me figure out your pumping station?"
5. "We'll be back tomorrow to hopefully finish the job."
1. "Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut off the goddamn water!"
2. "We're going to have to cut into that wall."
3. "Where the hell is that water coming from?"
4. "Can you come help me figure out your pumping station?"
5. "We'll be back tomorrow to hopefully finish the job."
Fourteen Years
Yesterday was our fourteenth wedding anniversary. We went to a nice local restaurant and left E in charge of the younger kids. We shut the office so he wouldn't have to deal with the inn.
It's been a great fourteen years, although I'm not sure I would have predicted some of the twists and turns our lives have taken. I'm very lucky to have married such an intelligent, funny, patient woman who shares so many of the same interests.
And I was looking at her last night at the restaurant and I swear she doesn't look older than about 25. When we got married, people in our neighborhood thought she was eighteen; when they learned she'd already graduated from college before we'd even met, the rumor went through the neighborhood that she'd been homeschooled and had graduated college early, rather than figuring that perhaps she was older than people assumed.
People at the inn sometimes refer to "that girl who checked us in last night." Two years ago, some college-aged ski bums asked, "Does that girl who was here at breakfast have a boyfriend?"
It's been a great fourteen years, although I'm not sure I would have predicted some of the twists and turns our lives have taken. I'm very lucky to have married such an intelligent, funny, patient woman who shares so many of the same interests.
And I was looking at her last night at the restaurant and I swear she doesn't look older than about 25. When we got married, people in our neighborhood thought she was eighteen; when they learned she'd already graduated from college before we'd even met, the rumor went through the neighborhood that she'd been homeschooled and had graduated college early, rather than figuring that perhaps she was older than people assumed.
People at the inn sometimes refer to "that girl who checked us in last night." Two years ago, some college-aged ski bums asked, "Does that girl who was here at breakfast have a boyfriend?"
Busy, Busy
It's very busy around here. I have a big trip to Home Depot and Costco to get ready for the holidays that I keep putting off, and a list of stuff to fix that doesn't seem to get any smaller. Yesterday, I fixed a futon, discovered an electrical issue and spent time helping the plumber figure out some strange details of our septic system. It looked for awhile like we had a major plumbing/septic issue on our hands, but it seems to have been resolved, or is on its way.
Today and tomorrow are the housekeeper's days off. We've been triaging the work, but it looks like M and I will have to get out and clean half a dozen rooms as we're just too busy to let them sit. The snow is great for business, though.
Today and tomorrow are the housekeeper's days off. We've been triaging the work, but it looks like M and I will have to get out and clean half a dozen rooms as we're just too busy to let them sit. The snow is great for business, though.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Two Clues
Two clues that the plumber has arrived to fix our septic problem.
1. The loud banging noise coming from the vicinity the deck.
2. The loud sucking noise coming from the vicinity of my bank account.
1. The loud banging noise coming from the vicinity the deck.
2. The loud sucking noise coming from the vicinity of my bank account.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Weekend Woes
The snowstorm turned out to not be that big a deal. At one point it was coming down at 2+ inches an hour, but then it just stopped. We hit a dead spot in the storm and that lasted for several hours. It has only just picked up again. The total will probably be about a foot, maybe as much as 18 inches on the mountain, tops. In comparison, we had an almost identical forecast last Valentine's Day and got forty inches.
The pipe backed up again. I have no idea what happened, as we didn't have anyone on that level or at the top, but nasty sludge filled the tubs to a depth of about three inches, then all that pressure found a leaky spot in the outgoing sewage line and damaged a bunch of ceiling tiles in the rooms on the lower level. There's also a nasty mess in the utility closet.
The only reason I even discovered what had happened was when the housekeeper went into one of the rooms in question to get blankets for washing and discovered the problem. The only thing I can think is that she flushed the toilet or something, but that wouldn't have accounted for the sheer quantity of water.
I turned off the water to that building, as fortunately, the people in that lowest level had checked out. All of tonight's guests are in the motel side again. We drained the backed up water (nasty, that) and the water will remain off until the plumbers come tomorrow.
We had nine rooms last night, which was the most in a single night since November. A lot of them were single guys chasing the snow, so we only totaled eighteen guests. We'll push fifty at a time during Christmas week.
Somehow, I still managed to get my writing done this morning.
State of Siege word count: 38,100 words
The pipe backed up again. I have no idea what happened, as we didn't have anyone on that level or at the top, but nasty sludge filled the tubs to a depth of about three inches, then all that pressure found a leaky spot in the outgoing sewage line and damaged a bunch of ceiling tiles in the rooms on the lower level. There's also a nasty mess in the utility closet.
The only reason I even discovered what had happened was when the housekeeper went into one of the rooms in question to get blankets for washing and discovered the problem. The only thing I can think is that she flushed the toilet or something, but that wouldn't have accounted for the sheer quantity of water.
I turned off the water to that building, as fortunately, the people in that lowest level had checked out. All of tonight's guests are in the motel side again. We drained the backed up water (nasty, that) and the water will remain off until the plumbers come tomorrow.
We had nine rooms last night, which was the most in a single night since November. A lot of them were single guys chasing the snow, so we only totaled eighteen guests. We'll push fifty at a time during Christmas week.
Somehow, I still managed to get my writing done this morning.
State of Siege word count: 38,100 words
Oh What a Night
It's currently dumping snow outside with ~20 inches predicted for the day and this has brought out the snow chasers. We took several walk-ins last night, with the last one arriving on the front porch at 1:30 A.M.
After coming back up to bed I heard the little guy thrashing in his crib. I peeked in and saw that he'd kicked off his blankets and was probably cold. He woke up as I tucked in his blankets. And promptly spent the next hour crying to get out of his crib. We'd have got him up, but this invariably leads to a vicious downward cycle where he wakes up every hour all night. I finally went in and sang to him for a few minutes while rubbing his head.
It was now 2:30 A.M. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I heard a horrible scratching sound behind the baseboard. Yes, the cold weather has brought in another rodent from the woods. This was so big it had to be a rat. So here I was, tapping on the baseboard, trying to chase off a rat so I can get to sleep. Nice.
Looks like another round of Redrum and Ratatouille. I fell asleep again sometime after 3:00, probably closer to 3:30.
On the plus side, the storm is benefiting us on both ends. First, are the people who are racing up to get a powder day. Second, are the people who need to stay another night because they don't want to drive home in a snowstorm.
After coming back up to bed I heard the little guy thrashing in his crib. I peeked in and saw that he'd kicked off his blankets and was probably cold. He woke up as I tucked in his blankets. And promptly spent the next hour crying to get out of his crib. We'd have got him up, but this invariably leads to a vicious downward cycle where he wakes up every hour all night. I finally went in and sang to him for a few minutes while rubbing his head.
It was now 2:30 A.M. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I heard a horrible scratching sound behind the baseboard. Yes, the cold weather has brought in another rodent from the woods. This was so big it had to be a rat. So here I was, tapping on the baseboard, trying to chase off a rat so I can get to sleep. Nice.
Looks like another round of Redrum and Ratatouille. I fell asleep again sometime after 3:00, probably closer to 3:30.
On the plus side, the storm is benefiting us on both ends. First, are the people who are racing up to get a powder day. Second, are the people who need to stay another night because they don't want to drive home in a snowstorm.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Extreme Toddler Fights
29
From personal experience, I can handle one, but not two. My twins were more than a match at age five for any one parent. Hell, my two year-old can damn near take me. After awhile, I just can't fend off the "Hop on Pop" any longer.
From personal experience, I can handle one, but not two. My twins were more than a match at age five for any one parent. Hell, my two year-old can damn near take me. After awhile, I just can't fend off the "Hop on Pop" any longer.
River of Sludge
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 50 of a 737 part series
It was about 9:30 last night and I was just changing into sweats and a t-shirt with the plan to read for a bit in my room before bedtime. Suddenly, a call from one of the efficiencies. Could we come over and help with a clogged toilet?
The clogged toilet turned out to be an overflowed toilet with a half-inch of standing water, t.p., and floating chunks on the floor. They'd thrown down a bulwark of formerly very white towels to keep it from running into the carpet.
After some manual draining and some ineffective attempts at plunging, I began to worry that it wasn't just a case of a stuck toilet. It's been below freezing for a couple of weeks and we haven't had anyone in the lodge, just in the motel side. And yesterday I'd fixed a leaky toilet in the room opposite this particular efficiency. What if the slow leak had gradually frozen as it dribbled through the sewage pipe that runs along an exposed length between the two buildings?
I went down to the utility closet on the lowest level and discovered that water was dripping through ceiling panels, having found its way through a bad bit of caulking in the upstairs bathroom. But the water was still draining down there, thankfully.
Upstairs, unfortunately, things were turning to, uhm, crap. The plunging had forced up sewage into the bathtub in the affected room and into the tubs of the two other rooms on that level. The only good news was that this told me that the clog was below the clogged toilet and I could use Liquid Plumber instead of a long, messy slog with the snake.
We had to move the toilet-cloggers themselves, together with the people who were scheduled to check into the opposite room, which had also been rendered unrentable. We moved the cloggers into the motel side (thankfully, they only had three people) and upgraded the other efficiency to the suite on the lowest level.
At that point, M and I just mopped up the mess and I poured a bottle of Liquid Plumber and waited until morning. Thankfully, it had drained by morning.
The good:
*It wasn't Christmas and we weren't full. We had other rooms.
*The guests in question may have caused the problem, but they were apologetic and not jerks about it.
*We resolved the problem without an expensive call to the plumber or worse, to the septic guys (last time that happened, the bill was $1,800).
*The housekeeper was able to complete the cleanup today.
The bad:
*The drain is still running slowly in that room. It has always been more prone to clogs than elsewhere at the inn, but I worry that there's something wedged down there that's cutting off flow.
*It's an ominous sign as well as a reminder of how things always seem to go wrong at Christmas time.
It was about 9:30 last night and I was just changing into sweats and a t-shirt with the plan to read for a bit in my room before bedtime. Suddenly, a call from one of the efficiencies. Could we come over and help with a clogged toilet?
The clogged toilet turned out to be an overflowed toilet with a half-inch of standing water, t.p., and floating chunks on the floor. They'd thrown down a bulwark of formerly very white towels to keep it from running into the carpet.
After some manual draining and some ineffective attempts at plunging, I began to worry that it wasn't just a case of a stuck toilet. It's been below freezing for a couple of weeks and we haven't had anyone in the lodge, just in the motel side. And yesterday I'd fixed a leaky toilet in the room opposite this particular efficiency. What if the slow leak had gradually frozen as it dribbled through the sewage pipe that runs along an exposed length between the two buildings?
I went down to the utility closet on the lowest level and discovered that water was dripping through ceiling panels, having found its way through a bad bit of caulking in the upstairs bathroom. But the water was still draining down there, thankfully.
Upstairs, unfortunately, things were turning to, uhm, crap. The plunging had forced up sewage into the bathtub in the affected room and into the tubs of the two other rooms on that level. The only good news was that this told me that the clog was below the clogged toilet and I could use Liquid Plumber instead of a long, messy slog with the snake.
We had to move the toilet-cloggers themselves, together with the people who were scheduled to check into the opposite room, which had also been rendered unrentable. We moved the cloggers into the motel side (thankfully, they only had three people) and upgraded the other efficiency to the suite on the lowest level.
At that point, M and I just mopped up the mess and I poured a bottle of Liquid Plumber and waited until morning. Thankfully, it had drained by morning.
The good:
*It wasn't Christmas and we weren't full. We had other rooms.
*The guests in question may have caused the problem, but they were apologetic and not jerks about it.
*We resolved the problem without an expensive call to the plumber or worse, to the septic guys (last time that happened, the bill was $1,800).
*The housekeeper was able to complete the cleanup today.
The bad:
*The drain is still running slowly in that room. It has always been more prone to clogs than elsewhere at the inn, but I worry that there's something wedged down there that's cutting off flow.
*It's an ominous sign as well as a reminder of how things always seem to go wrong at Christmas time.
Friday, December 14, 2007
But We Have Plans!
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 49 of a 737 part series
It was December 22 of a good snow year. We were jigsaw puzzling our reservation book for Christmas week to get everyone into as many room nights as possible. We'd already turned away lots of potential reservations that could not fit into our dwindling supply.
Guy calls, clears his throat. "Uhm, yes, I need to get some rooms. We've got a ski group coming up and I'm in charge of making the reservations."
"How many people do you have and what are the dates?" I ask, opening the reservation book.
"There will be twelve adults and eight kids," he said. "And a baby. We need December 26 through December 31. What options do you have available?"
"I'm sorry," I said. "We're just about booked up and I can't accommodate a group of that size."
"Oh, we're not picky. We can fit into whatever you've got available."
"Well, I have one room with two double beds for the 26th and 27th. Two different rooms, each with a queen-sized bed, for the 28th only. And nothing for the 30th and 31st."
"Nothing? I mean, nothing at all?"
"No, nothing. I'm sorry." I also know that everyone else is booked to the same level because I've been on the phone earlier. I tell him as much.
"But we have plans!" he says.
Did you think of mentioning these plans to anyone else?
It was December 22 of a good snow year. We were jigsaw puzzling our reservation book for Christmas week to get everyone into as many room nights as possible. We'd already turned away lots of potential reservations that could not fit into our dwindling supply.
Guy calls, clears his throat. "Uhm, yes, I need to get some rooms. We've got a ski group coming up and I'm in charge of making the reservations."
"How many people do you have and what are the dates?" I ask, opening the reservation book.
"There will be twelve adults and eight kids," he said. "And a baby. We need December 26 through December 31. What options do you have available?"
"I'm sorry," I said. "We're just about booked up and I can't accommodate a group of that size."
"Oh, we're not picky. We can fit into whatever you've got available."
"Well, I have one room with two double beds for the 26th and 27th. Two different rooms, each with a queen-sized bed, for the 28th only. And nothing for the 30th and 31st."
"Nothing? I mean, nothing at all?"
"No, nothing. I'm sorry." I also know that everyone else is booked to the same level because I've been on the phone earlier. I tell him as much.
"But we have plans!" he says.
Did you think of mentioning these plans to anyone else?
Thursday, December 13, 2007
But We Still Have a Credit!
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 48 of a 737 part series
Last Christmas we had a bunch of medical emergencies of the kind that always come when the weather turns crappy. Unlike most times, we take a deposit for Christmas week. One particular group had our suite plus the adjacent room with double doors that can combine the two rooms into a two bed, two bath suite with a full kitchen and living room.
The woman pushed back enough about not getting her 1/3 deposit refunded that I think there might have actually been a real medical emergency. She wanted us to give her a credit for 2007 Christmas. The thing is, I had turned away multiple calls for that room and we ended up only renting one of the room nights last minute and at a discount. The suite just doesn't rent well last minute as anyone with a big group is wise to book well in advance (not that they always do).
Deposit or no, I'd already lost money once. Giving her the credit would mean that I'd lose money for two different weeks. After some pushing, I drafted a letter saying she could get a credit for either 11&12 or 15&16 for 1 1/2 days for a future stay up through December 26 of this year. They ended up taking the suite as a slightly smaller group in February (another busy weekend when we turned away people from the room in question). Problem solved, right?
No, she called back tonight, wanting to book the suite for December 26 only, the last night of her credit, according to our letter. But she'd already used it, I told her. Sure, but that was a different weekend at a non-holiday rate. She still had a credit of X dollars.
At first I said no way, that I couldn't take a hit for yet a third period and anyway we have a three night minimum. I can't give her the room for a single night in the middle of the holidays. She kept arguing and M pointed out that these people had paid the deposit for their friends (the ones with the smaller room) and had only used the larger room.
Okay, fine, I said. You can have the smaller room for one night, but it has to be part of a three night stay. Ah, well, they're only coming here for one day as they want to ski another mountain this year, they just don't want to lose their phantom room credit. And if you apply the dollars paid, take off the dollars saved from their stay last year, they still have enough to get an entire efficiency for one night.
And this is where I finally put my foot down. Repeat guests or not, they can have one smaller room, or the equivalent savings on a larger room. But they must absolutely book for three nights and hold with a credit card (and be on the hook thereby) or nothing.
As a final note, M reminds me that when they came last February, we told them that this was it for their credit. Foolishly, this does not appear to be in writing anywhere. Seems pretty darn clear from the initial letter, but oh, well.
Last Christmas we had a bunch of medical emergencies of the kind that always come when the weather turns crappy. Unlike most times, we take a deposit for Christmas week. One particular group had our suite plus the adjacent room with double doors that can combine the two rooms into a two bed, two bath suite with a full kitchen and living room.
The woman pushed back enough about not getting her 1/3 deposit refunded that I think there might have actually been a real medical emergency. She wanted us to give her a credit for 2007 Christmas. The thing is, I had turned away multiple calls for that room and we ended up only renting one of the room nights last minute and at a discount. The suite just doesn't rent well last minute as anyone with a big group is wise to book well in advance (not that they always do).
Deposit or no, I'd already lost money once. Giving her the credit would mean that I'd lose money for two different weeks. After some pushing, I drafted a letter saying she could get a credit for either 11&12 or 15&16 for 1 1/2 days for a future stay up through December 26 of this year. They ended up taking the suite as a slightly smaller group in February (another busy weekend when we turned away people from the room in question). Problem solved, right?
No, she called back tonight, wanting to book the suite for December 26 only, the last night of her credit, according to our letter. But she'd already used it, I told her. Sure, but that was a different weekend at a non-holiday rate. She still had a credit of X dollars.
At first I said no way, that I couldn't take a hit for yet a third period and anyway we have a three night minimum. I can't give her the room for a single night in the middle of the holidays. She kept arguing and M pointed out that these people had paid the deposit for their friends (the ones with the smaller room) and had only used the larger room.
Okay, fine, I said. You can have the smaller room for one night, but it has to be part of a three night stay. Ah, well, they're only coming here for one day as they want to ski another mountain this year, they just don't want to lose their phantom room credit. And if you apply the dollars paid, take off the dollars saved from their stay last year, they still have enough to get an entire efficiency for one night.
And this is where I finally put my foot down. Repeat guests or not, they can have one smaller room, or the equivalent savings on a larger room. But they must absolutely book for three nights and hold with a credit card (and be on the hook thereby) or nothing.
As a final note, M reminds me that when they came last February, we told them that this was it for their credit. Foolishly, this does not appear to be in writing anywhere. Seems pretty darn clear from the initial letter, but oh, well.
A Snowy Start to Winter
The mood at the lodging meeting last night was rather different than last year when we had sixty degrees and rain for the first couple of weeks of December. Christmas was a bloodbath, and although it finally turned around, it's impossible to make up for a lost holiday week.
The snow right now is fantastic and more is on its way. We've got the first of a pair of snowstorms coming through tonight, expected to lay down a few more inches. The big one comes on Sunday and it looks like a classic nor'easter, with snowfall that will end up being measured in feet, rather than inches. Even if it busts, and we only get another 10-12 inches, we're still looking at February like conditions.
People are a bit tentative in making their reservations. The last couple of winters have started so slowly that I think they're more wary than they used to be. We'll lure them back up with a couple of snowy Christmases and then bring back the rain.
State of Siege word count: 34,000 words
The snow right now is fantastic and more is on its way. We've got the first of a pair of snowstorms coming through tonight, expected to lay down a few more inches. The big one comes on Sunday and it looks like a classic nor'easter, with snowfall that will end up being measured in feet, rather than inches. Even if it busts, and we only get another 10-12 inches, we're still looking at February like conditions.
People are a bit tentative in making their reservations. The last couple of winters have started so slowly that I think they're more wary than they used to be. We'll lure them back up with a couple of snowy Christmases and then bring back the rain.
State of Siege word count: 34,000 words
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Noose Tightens
I thought I had a reasonable list of things to accomplish before Christmas, but the list is growing as fast as I check items off it. As an example, I spent a good chunk of time today fixing a broken vanity drawer that someone pried loose, but have discovered that someone punched a hole in the drywall near the ceiling in room #7. No idea how this happened. Skis, maybe?
I'm also in the process of washing all the blankets and bedspreads, a process that takes forever when you own over thirty beds. I wish we could afford to use an outside service like we do with the sheets.
Most of the Christmas shopping is out of the way, though, which is a big step.
State of Siege word count: 32,300 words
I'm also in the process of washing all the blankets and bedspreads, a process that takes forever when you own over thirty beds. I wish we could afford to use an outside service like we do with the sheets.
Most of the Christmas shopping is out of the way, though, which is a big step.
State of Siege word count: 32,300 words
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
More Snow
It's amazing to think that it was about sixty degrees last year at this time. They kept telling us that great ski weather was just around the corner, but it didn't come until February. This time they keep telling us that a warm-up is just around the corner, but it's always 10-14 days out. I'll take this.
Someone came in about twenty minutes ago saying, "I figured since I just took out your hotel you'd let me use the phone."
I had a moment of fear, as we lost our sign to a drunk driver last year, lost our mail box so many times that I ended up just getting a PO Box, and have had our lamp munched or partially munched maybe ten times. I built a big ol' stone wall to protect it, but this hasn't worked either. Long before we came, a semi lost its traction coming down the mountain, sliced over the hill and obliterated the deck between the two buildings. So I was naturally apprehensive.
As it turns out, his girlfriend had just gone over the side of the hill onto the property, but other than a big rut come spring, it doesn't look like there's any damage for us. Also, the snow might have sent her off the road, but it also kept her from rolling.
It's currently snowing and we've got something else that's supposed to drop a couple of inches on Thursday. But the big news is that there might be a Nor'easter coming together for this weekend which would leave snow totals better measured in feet than in inches. I can't tell if I'm excited, or terrified. It took round the clock work to dig out from that forty incher last Valentine's Day.
State of Siege word count: 30,600 words
Someone came in about twenty minutes ago saying, "I figured since I just took out your hotel you'd let me use the phone."
I had a moment of fear, as we lost our sign to a drunk driver last year, lost our mail box so many times that I ended up just getting a PO Box, and have had our lamp munched or partially munched maybe ten times. I built a big ol' stone wall to protect it, but this hasn't worked either. Long before we came, a semi lost its traction coming down the mountain, sliced over the hill and obliterated the deck between the two buildings. So I was naturally apprehensive.
As it turns out, his girlfriend had just gone over the side of the hill onto the property, but other than a big rut come spring, it doesn't look like there's any damage for us. Also, the snow might have sent her off the road, but it also kept her from rolling.
It's currently snowing and we've got something else that's supposed to drop a couple of inches on Thursday. But the big news is that there might be a Nor'easter coming together for this weekend which would leave snow totals better measured in feet than in inches. I can't tell if I'm excited, or terrified. It took round the clock work to dig out from that forty incher last Valentine's Day.
State of Siege word count: 30,600 words
Monday, December 10, 2007
First Battle, Second Doorway
I'm shooting for something a bit longer than my previous two novels of ~85,000 words. I'm thinking around 100,000. But shooting for a word count is kind of like running until you get tired. I mean, you may know that usually you can make it a mile, or ten miles, but who knows today?
Right now, the plot and characters as currently unfolding look more than sufficient for 100,000 words, which gives me a small worry that I might overrun my target. But it's always easier to trim than to pad--at least if you want something that isn't crap at the end.
State of Siege word count: 29,400 words
Right now, the plot and characters as currently unfolding look more than sufficient for 100,000 words, which gives me a small worry that I might overrun my target. But it's always easier to trim than to pad--at least if you want something that isn't crap at the end.
State of Siege word count: 29,400 words
Big Rigs, Buses, etc.
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 47 of a 737 part series
I used to let people park all sorts of stuff here: horse trailers, gliders, motorhomes, trailers, big rigs, etc. It was all money, right? I'd find a way to shoehorn it into the parking lot.
In spite of a growing list of incidents, I kept this up until last winter, when some bozo got his bus stuck in the parking lot. The rest of the group was staying at some swanky place up on the mountain, but these tour groups never want to pay $250/night for the bus driver, so they send them down here. The bus drivers are just as happy to stay away from their charges for a few hours.
So this guy comes down during a freeze/thaw and the parking lot is ice. He's got a big ol' bus, which he parks in the lower parking lot. He gets stuck halfway up the hill and spends about three hours backing up (beep! beep! beep!), then revving his engine and trying to make it up the hill. He spins his wheels, backs up, then tries again. I spread ash, snow melt, put down boards, etc., but he can't get out. Some of it is that he seems to be an exceptionally poor driver. Most of it is the conditions.
Meanwhile, the other guests from that side of the inn are standing outside with their hands on their hips, complaining about the smell of diesel and the noise. Can't blame them.
And the worse thing is that the guy in the bus didn't need to get out. He was just going to dinner. He could have walked to the place down the road. Or got a %#@! taxi. But no, three hours of revving, idling, and backing up.
That's it. No more buses in the lower parking lot. And no more in the upper parking lot unless we're otherwise practically empty. That goes for trailers, big rigs, and airplanes, too.
I used to let people park all sorts of stuff here: horse trailers, gliders, motorhomes, trailers, big rigs, etc. It was all money, right? I'd find a way to shoehorn it into the parking lot.
In spite of a growing list of incidents, I kept this up until last winter, when some bozo got his bus stuck in the parking lot. The rest of the group was staying at some swanky place up on the mountain, but these tour groups never want to pay $250/night for the bus driver, so they send them down here. The bus drivers are just as happy to stay away from their charges for a few hours.
So this guy comes down during a freeze/thaw and the parking lot is ice. He's got a big ol' bus, which he parks in the lower parking lot. He gets stuck halfway up the hill and spends about three hours backing up (beep! beep! beep!), then revving his engine and trying to make it up the hill. He spins his wheels, backs up, then tries again. I spread ash, snow melt, put down boards, etc., but he can't get out. Some of it is that he seems to be an exceptionally poor driver. Most of it is the conditions.
Meanwhile, the other guests from that side of the inn are standing outside with their hands on their hips, complaining about the smell of diesel and the noise. Can't blame them.
And the worse thing is that the guy in the bus didn't need to get out. He was just going to dinner. He could have walked to the place down the road. Or got a %#@! taxi. But no, three hours of revving, idling, and backing up.
That's it. No more buses in the lower parking lot. And no more in the upper parking lot unless we're otherwise practically empty. That goes for trailers, big rigs, and airplanes, too.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
An 18-Wheeler Full of Puppies.
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 46 of a 737 part series
By special guest blogger, my wife:
Last night, just after midnight, I had the most bizarre phone call of our four years at the inn.
It was a man looking for a room. Pretty standard. I asked if he was calling from the phone on the front deck. No. He was several hours away.
Yes, we have a room, I said. I told him the rate and mentioned that it included breakfast. He asked about breakfast, so I mentioned the menu for today would be eggs or French toast. He asked if we had an omelet station where he could point to the different meats and we would make the omelet right there. No, I said. We don't have an omelet station. We are one of the budget accommodations in the valley.
He asked if I could recommend somewhere that did have an omelet station. Because his wife used to cook him really good breakfasts but she isn't with him any longer. "I know the owners probably don't want you to tell me, but maybe you could while they aren't looking." I said I didn't know who had an omelet station, but he might try the inn owned by the ski resort. I mentioned that he might not find a lot of places that would answer their phone at this hour, that we answer ours only in case it is an emergency. *hint, hint*
I told him to call us when he got in and we would come give him a key. He asked if we had rooms that accepted pets. Yes, some, I said.
Good, he said, because I have an 18-wheeler carrying puppies I am driving to Maine. Maybe we could arrange a barter. I have labs, golden retrievers, Saint Bernards . . .
At this point, I began to seriously consider whether this was a prank call. But the voice didn't sound at all familiar, and it sounded too old to be teenagers.
I focused on what I thought was the critical piece of information. We don't have room for an 18-wheeler, I said. You won't be able to park it here.
It's a small 18-wheeler. It is heated and everything for the puppies. (Is that supposed to make it better? That means he'll want to run the diesel engine all night long, annoying the other rooms of guests.) I'm sorry, I said. We don't have parking for an 18-wheeler. No, I don't know anywhere nearby where you could park it.
Do you have a dog? he asked. I reiterated that we were not interested in trading lodging for a dog. Am I creeping you out? he asked. No, I said, leaving unspoken but you are annoying the @#%^ out of me.
I said I was sorry, but we couldn't offer him parking, so he should probably find somewhere else to stay. Do you have a dog? he asked. "You aren't going to answer me, are you?"
And then I did what I have never before done to a guest or potential guest. I hung up.
Michael: I was listening to this call, of course. I couldn't hear what the guy was saying, although he was talking rather loudly and somewhat non-stop. At first I was annoyed that M seemed to be trying to dissuade the potential walk-in from coming and adding a few bucks to our bottom line. Then I became vaguely alarmed at the talk of the eighteen-wheeler and bewildered when she said, "And I'm not interested in the dog."
The guy was asking about skiing, but had a truck full of puppies? Was any part of this true? I would have said of course not a couple of years ago, but unlike M, I'm not sure this is the weirdest thing that's happened here. Might have made the list if he'd actually brought the puppies, but remember, we had a woman ask about crossing the frozen river into the wilderness without a coat, and another time had someone ask if she could keep a pony in the room. Weird is par for the course.
I expected a return call, as the weirdos usually come back again and again, followed by an idling big rig that could not get out of a driveway ringed by mounds of snow. But we never heard from him again. Thank god.
By special guest blogger, my wife:
Last night, just after midnight, I had the most bizarre phone call of our four years at the inn.
It was a man looking for a room. Pretty standard. I asked if he was calling from the phone on the front deck. No. He was several hours away.
Yes, we have a room, I said. I told him the rate and mentioned that it included breakfast. He asked about breakfast, so I mentioned the menu for today would be eggs or French toast. He asked if we had an omelet station where he could point to the different meats and we would make the omelet right there. No, I said. We don't have an omelet station. We are one of the budget accommodations in the valley.
He asked if I could recommend somewhere that did have an omelet station. Because his wife used to cook him really good breakfasts but she isn't with him any longer. "I know the owners probably don't want you to tell me, but maybe you could while they aren't looking." I said I didn't know who had an omelet station, but he might try the inn owned by the ski resort. I mentioned that he might not find a lot of places that would answer their phone at this hour, that we answer ours only in case it is an emergency. *hint, hint*
I told him to call us when he got in and we would come give him a key. He asked if we had rooms that accepted pets. Yes, some, I said.
Good, he said, because I have an 18-wheeler carrying puppies I am driving to Maine. Maybe we could arrange a barter. I have labs, golden retrievers, Saint Bernards . . .
At this point, I began to seriously consider whether this was a prank call. But the voice didn't sound at all familiar, and it sounded too old to be teenagers.
I focused on what I thought was the critical piece of information. We don't have room for an 18-wheeler, I said. You won't be able to park it here.
It's a small 18-wheeler. It is heated and everything for the puppies. (Is that supposed to make it better? That means he'll want to run the diesel engine all night long, annoying the other rooms of guests.) I'm sorry, I said. We don't have parking for an 18-wheeler. No, I don't know anywhere nearby where you could park it.
Do you have a dog? he asked. I reiterated that we were not interested in trading lodging for a dog. Am I creeping you out? he asked. No, I said, leaving unspoken but you are annoying the @#%^ out of me.
I said I was sorry, but we couldn't offer him parking, so he should probably find somewhere else to stay. Do you have a dog? he asked. "You aren't going to answer me, are you?"
And then I did what I have never before done to a guest or potential guest. I hung up.
Michael: I was listening to this call, of course. I couldn't hear what the guy was saying, although he was talking rather loudly and somewhat non-stop. At first I was annoyed that M seemed to be trying to dissuade the potential walk-in from coming and adding a few bucks to our bottom line. Then I became vaguely alarmed at the talk of the eighteen-wheeler and bewildered when she said, "And I'm not interested in the dog."
The guy was asking about skiing, but had a truck full of puppies? Was any part of this true? I would have said of course not a couple of years ago, but unlike M, I'm not sure this is the weirdest thing that's happened here. Might have made the list if he'd actually brought the puppies, but remember, we had a woman ask about crossing the frozen river into the wilderness without a coat, and another time had someone ask if she could keep a pony in the room. Weird is par for the course.
I expected a return call, as the weirdos usually come back again and again, followed by an idling big rig that could not get out of a driveway ringed by mounds of snow. But we never heard from him again. Thank god.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
No, This Room. No, Wait
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 45 of a 737 part series
I try to keep two rooms ready and warm for walk-ins. One is a room with two double beds, the other a queen-sized bed. The efficiencies don't usually have walk-ins, as people generally call if they have an awkwardly sized groups and they have gas heaters instead of hot water radiators, so they warm up much faster anyway.
We had a walk-in take our two double tonight and then someone else came in wanting the same thing. It was a couple with a six year-old daughter. I told them I had a 2 bed room, but it would take a bit to heat up, or I could give them the room with the queen and they could use the double futon-style couch/bed for the six year old. It's what I would have chosen; six year-olds aren't generally picky.
He wanted to take a look at both rooms and decide and called for his wife and daughter to get out of the car and come and look. He liked the two double immediately, and said it wasn't necessary to look at the other room. "Besides," he said, "it doesn't feel very cold to me."
But his wife thought it was cold and didn't want to wait for it to heat up, so we went to the other room. Their daughter loved the futon and started jumping on and off it, while the man shook his head and said, "I don't like how this room smells."
"What?" his wife said. "I don't smell anything. Let's take this room. It's nice and warm and the bed is bigger."
"No, I like the other one better. It's got a nicer feel to it."
"This one is better," she said. "Cozier."
They both look to me as if hoping I'll cast the deciding vote. No way. In my mind, it's exactly the same thing. And the rooms are identical size, layout, etc., except for the bed arrangement. Personally, I'd take the warm room and make the daughter sleep on the futon. But I'm not going to say that.
The husband takes the key and walks back to first room, while the wife and the daughter start making themselves at home in this room. I stand and shrug. At last, she realizes she's not going to get her way and grumbles her way after her husband, while I shoo the daughter out and shut down lights.
I try to keep two rooms ready and warm for walk-ins. One is a room with two double beds, the other a queen-sized bed. The efficiencies don't usually have walk-ins, as people generally call if they have an awkwardly sized groups and they have gas heaters instead of hot water radiators, so they warm up much faster anyway.
We had a walk-in take our two double tonight and then someone else came in wanting the same thing. It was a couple with a six year-old daughter. I told them I had a 2 bed room, but it would take a bit to heat up, or I could give them the room with the queen and they could use the double futon-style couch/bed for the six year old. It's what I would have chosen; six year-olds aren't generally picky.
He wanted to take a look at both rooms and decide and called for his wife and daughter to get out of the car and come and look. He liked the two double immediately, and said it wasn't necessary to look at the other room. "Besides," he said, "it doesn't feel very cold to me."
But his wife thought it was cold and didn't want to wait for it to heat up, so we went to the other room. Their daughter loved the futon and started jumping on and off it, while the man shook his head and said, "I don't like how this room smells."
"What?" his wife said. "I don't smell anything. Let's take this room. It's nice and warm and the bed is bigger."
"No, I like the other one better. It's got a nicer feel to it."
"This one is better," she said. "Cozier."
They both look to me as if hoping I'll cast the deciding vote. No way. In my mind, it's exactly the same thing. And the rooms are identical size, layout, etc., except for the bed arrangement. Personally, I'd take the warm room and make the daughter sleep on the futon. But I'm not going to say that.
The husband takes the key and walks back to first room, while the wife and the daughter start making themselves at home in this room. I stand and shrug. At last, she realizes she's not going to get her way and grumbles her way after her husband, while I shoo the daughter out and shut down lights.
Router Now Routing
The router died yesterday and while M picked up a new one on her way up from Massachusetts, we also had the slight problem of a defective CD ROM in that computer. I was never quite sure what had happened to it, if it had actually died, or if the driver had become corrupted, or what. I spent some time trying to resolve the issue, then gave the CD ROM up for dead. We had to go to the airport to drop off M's rental car anyway, so we stopped at the Best Buy and took the lazy route of having them install the drive instead of doing it at home. A bit of work (mostly by M) and we have the new router connected.
The immediate benefit is to give me access upstairs again (although, not so oddly, my writing productivity was much higher with a dumb terminal these last couple of days), but we also needed to get it back online for the sake of wifi access at the inn.
State of Siege word count: 27,000 words
The immediate benefit is to give me access upstairs again (although, not so oddly, my writing productivity was much higher with a dumb terminal these last couple of days), but we also needed to get it back online for the sake of wifi access at the inn.
State of Siege word count: 27,000 words
Friday, December 7, 2007
Time to Get Organized
M is returning from Massachusetts today, which is a good thing, since the list of things that I need finding is growing at 2-3 per day. :)
I've managed to meet my daily word count goal this week, in spite of her absence, but it was close a couple of times. It's been hard to find the time, what with snow days, kids coming and going, and of course, the almost constant companionship of the little guy. It would be a lot easier if I could work productively in the evening, but my mental agility begins a slow, but ultimately but terminal decline starting at 9:00 A.M.
This next week marks the return of a normal routine that we haven't seen since October. Since then, there's been Tunisia, two weeks of her family visiting, and now her work trip to Boston. There's a nice little list of stuff that has to be accomplished before Christmas kicks off several months of craziness at the inn (looking even busier than normal if the early snow is a harbinger of the winter to come), so I'm anxious to get started.
State of Siege word count: 25,600 words
I've managed to meet my daily word count goal this week, in spite of her absence, but it was close a couple of times. It's been hard to find the time, what with snow days, kids coming and going, and of course, the almost constant companionship of the little guy. It would be a lot easier if I could work productively in the evening, but my mental agility begins a slow, but ultimately but terminal decline starting at 9:00 A.M.
This next week marks the return of a normal routine that we haven't seen since October. Since then, there's been Tunisia, two weeks of her family visiting, and now her work trip to Boston. There's a nice little list of stuff that has to be accomplished before Christmas kicks off several months of craziness at the inn (looking even busier than normal if the early snow is a harbinger of the winter to come), so I'm anxious to get started.
State of Siege word count: 25,600 words
The Death of a Disco Dancer
My router died yesterday. Thanks to some wise advice by M., I was able to track down the problem and connect the modem directly to the downstairs computer. This leaves the upstairs computer severed from outside contact, but that's probably a good thing for my writing productivity, assuming I can ever get these guests to come in for breakfast so I can get to it.
I had a great chat with a friend yesterday, let the kids watch too much t.v., and took a lot of calls about Christmas reservations. Oh, and I spent too much time on this downstairs computer with the crappy keyboard; my wrists are hurting.
I'll try to get an update on my latest word count later today. I know you're all on the edge of your seats.
I had a great chat with a friend yesterday, let the kids watch too much t.v., and took a lot of calls about Christmas reservations. Oh, and I spent too much time on this downstairs computer with the crappy keyboard; my wrists are hurting.
I'll try to get an update on my latest word count later today. I know you're all on the edge of your seats.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Pay Attention, Please
Crazy Things Guests Say and Do: Part 44 of a 737 part series
Email that came to the inbox today:
To Whom It May Concern:
I have a party of 4 interested in staying at (SOME OTHER HOTEL) from Saturday, December 29th – Tuesday, January 1st.
Are there two rooms available for those dates?
Thank you for your help.
Bob
Bob,
Let me call (SOME OTHER HOTEL) and see if they have availability. I'll get right back to you with their response,
Michael
MY HOTEL
Email that came to the inbox today:
To Whom It May Concern:
I have a party of 4 interested in staying at (SOME OTHER HOTEL) from Saturday, December 29th – Tuesday, January 1st.
Are there two rooms available for those dates?
Thank you for your help.
Bob
Bob,
Let me call (SOME OTHER HOTEL) and see if they have availability. I'll get right back to you with their response,
Michael
MY HOTEL
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
More Boring Writing Details
It's a challenge to keep up my writing this week because M is in Massachusetts this week for work, leaving me with solo parenting through Friday. The little guy requires more or less constant supervision (he's currently wearing swim goggles and banging on the window with his rubber killer whale), which is fine for little things like this, but doesn't work for anything requiring much concentration.
T.V. works, but I feel guilty about that, so I used his nap time today and forced myself to stay very focused.
The storm petered out yesterday evening. We had about 15 inches on the ground when it was over. The ski resort is reporting 20 inches. They're saying it might warm up later in the month, but so far it's a lot better than last December.
State of Siege word count: 21,700 words
T.V. works, but I feel guilty about that, so I used his nap time today and forced myself to stay very focused.
The storm petered out yesterday evening. We had about 15 inches on the ground when it was over. The ski resort is reporting 20 inches. They're saying it might warm up later in the month, but so far it's a lot better than last December.
State of Siege word count: 21,700 words
Monday, December 3, 2007
Plumbing
The plumber's lackeys just showed up. "You guys want us to hook up that new pipe today?"
Uhm, yeah. Actually, I would.
"We figured you guys weren't in a rush and then we got busy with other stuff."
No, we weren't in a rush until, you know, the pipes froze and rendered half the inn unrentable.
I'm thinking they just forgot. Thank goodness this didn't happen Christmas week, which is a more likely time for this to happen, since it's not usually this cold this early in December.
Uhm, yeah. Actually, I would.
"We figured you guys weren't in a rush and then we got busy with other stuff."
No, we weren't in a rush until, you know, the pipes froze and rendered half the inn unrentable.
I'm thinking they just forgot. Thank goodness this didn't happen Christmas week, which is a more likely time for this to happen, since it's not usually this cold this early in December.
Can I Write it ALL Off?
One of the fun things about my current novel is the chance to slip in some settings from my travels. The book starts in Provence, and moves to Tours, in the Loire Valley. I also have characters mention Thailand and Tunisia.
The bulk of the book takes place in Vermont. Don't ask me why. It just does.
My main character is about to pass through what might be considered the first doorway. That is, she's going to make the first decision from which there can be no return to her comfortable life. All the other characters, good and evil alike, are taking similar steps.
State of Siege word count: 20,400 words
The bulk of the book takes place in Vermont. Don't ask me why. It just does.
My main character is about to pass through what might be considered the first doorway. That is, she's going to make the first decision from which there can be no return to her comfortable life. All the other characters, good and evil alike, are taking similar steps.
State of Siege word count: 20,400 words
Snow!
We're in the middle of our first big snowstorm of the year. There's already three or four inches on the ground and the forecast is showing 10-18 inches more through tonight with continued snow showers all through the day tomorrow.
M drove to Mass yesterday afternoon for work and will miss the fun, as it sounds like Boston will only get a glancing blow. I did my best to get her in on the fun when I couldn't find where she'd put the phone list for the school. Someone called at 5:30 to pass along word of the school cancellation and it was my job to call the next several people on the list.
If only they had waited until 6:30 before calling, or better yet, done so last night when it was obvious that we were going to get pounded. Oh, and it would have been nice, too, if the little guy hadn't been up twice in the night crying for me to get him out of bed and throwing his blankets out of his crib in disgust when I wouldn't do so.
M drove to Mass yesterday afternoon for work and will miss the fun, as it sounds like Boston will only get a glancing blow. I did my best to get her in on the fun when I couldn't find where she'd put the phone list for the school. Someone called at 5:30 to pass along word of the school cancellation and it was my job to call the next several people on the list.
If only they had waited until 6:30 before calling, or better yet, done so last night when it was obvious that we were going to get pounded. Oh, and it would have been nice, too, if the little guy hadn't been up twice in the night crying for me to get him out of bed and throwing his blankets out of his crib in disgust when I wouldn't do so.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Annoying, but Not a Disaster
I spent some more time mucking around down below trying to figure out what the plumbers had done while I was gone and discovered that the problem is that they've not yet bypassed the old, exposed pipe for the new, buried line. A cursory look had confused me earlier, because they'd mucked up the insulation box for the old line.
So, the good news is that they can come, do this work, and we'll likely have permanently resolved the problem.
The bad news is, what were they thinking in leaving the job unfinished? Did the main guy get busy with something else and figure we were unlikely to have a problem until the end of the month when we typically get our first seriously cold weather?
Hard to tell until he returns my call.
So, the good news is that they can come, do this work, and we'll likely have permanently resolved the problem.
The bad news is, what were they thinking in leaving the job unfinished? Did the main guy get busy with something else and figure we were unlikely to have a problem until the end of the month when we typically get our first seriously cold weather?
Hard to tell until he returns my call.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Contractors
Still no word from the plumber who charged us several hundred dollars to make our plumbing more likely to freeze as his solution to our freezing pipes problem.
I always thought you could make great money as a contractor if you named your outfit something like, "Will Return Your Calls Roofing" and followed through.
And when our plumber finally does come, he charges $75/hour weekdays and $100/hour weekends. They tell you in high school that the shop kids are going nowhere and that you should really go to college and get a degree in sociology or German.
And now the shop kids are getting their revenge at $75/hour.
I always thought you could make great money as a contractor if you named your outfit something like, "Will Return Your Calls Roofing" and followed through.
And when our plumber finally does come, he charges $75/hour weekdays and $100/hour weekends. They tell you in high school that the shop kids are going nowhere and that you should really go to college and get a degree in sociology or German.
And now the shop kids are getting their revenge at $75/hour.
Not Fair!
I was going over parts of the face and head with L the other day: eyebrows! eyes! ears! Suddenly, he frowned, ran his hand through his drastically shorter hair and said, in an aggrieved tone, "You cut me hair. Gone!" He looked down at the floor where he'd last seen the missing curls. "Where go?"
Somewhat surprised that several days later he was still upset about his haircut, I explained, "I cut your hair and then Mommy put it in the garbage."
He slid down from my lap and ran to the garbage and stuck his head in. It popped out a moment later, his face openly expressing his disbelief that he'd trusted such an obvious liar. "Hey! Hair gone! No fair!"
Somewhat surprised that several days later he was still upset about his haircut, I explained, "I cut your hair and then Mommy put it in the garbage."
He slid down from my lap and ran to the garbage and stuck his head in. It popped out a moment later, his face openly expressing his disbelief that he'd trusted such an obvious liar. "Hey! Hair gone! No fair!"
&*@# Plumbing Problem
We've struggled with a freezing water line to the lodge over the last few years. There was a heat tape, but it failed and we had an expensive water line break. So I put in another heat tape, and it failed. We were fine as long as we had people over there, but the pre-Christmas period was dangerous, as well as times when it was severely cold during the day and everyone was gone to the mountain. It was a case of going into occupied rooms and turning a drip on the faucet and hoping someone didn't come back and turn it off, then leave again.
So last winter our plumber said he could bury the line and gave us a bid of about $700. Sounded good to me and we had him do the work this fall.
And what happens the very first time it gets cold? Right, it froze.
They'd done the job just before my Tunisian trip and I had lots going on both then and after (in-laws, etc.) and so I hadn't gone to respective basements and examined things. I did today, you can be damn sure. And I discovered that the old insulation was stripped out so they could do their job and there's still a length of unburied pipe of about three inches, now perfectly exposed to the elements, on each side.
Not only did the $700 project not help, but I'm still going to have to run heat tape, but this time, two lengths, one from each end, as I can't touch the buried part. M put in a call to the plumber several hours ago but he hasn't bothered to call back.
Thank goodness we discovered it now, instead of Christmas week. There's nobody in that building at the moment, which is good, because every unit in the lodge is currently unrentable as a result.
State of Siege word count: 18,100 words
So last winter our plumber said he could bury the line and gave us a bid of about $700. Sounded good to me and we had him do the work this fall.
And what happens the very first time it gets cold? Right, it froze.
They'd done the job just before my Tunisian trip and I had lots going on both then and after (in-laws, etc.) and so I hadn't gone to respective basements and examined things. I did today, you can be damn sure. And I discovered that the old insulation was stripped out so they could do their job and there's still a length of unburied pipe of about three inches, now perfectly exposed to the elements, on each side.
Not only did the $700 project not help, but I'm still going to have to run heat tape, but this time, two lengths, one from each end, as I can't touch the buried part. M put in a call to the plumber several hours ago but he hasn't bothered to call back.
Thank goodness we discovered it now, instead of Christmas week. There's nobody in that building at the moment, which is good, because every unit in the lodge is currently unrentable as a result.
State of Siege word count: 18,100 words
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